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AMA History Project

Academy of Model Aeronautics · National Model Aviation Museum

The people, clubs and companies that built model aviation, in their own words.

Search 1,062 biographies of modelers, designers and contest fliers, plus the histories of 62 clubs and 26 companies, preserved by the AMA History Project.

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Histories
1,150
Pages
4,653
Earliest birth
1850

People under S

1–24 of 114 entries ·

  1. First page of Jim Saftig
    2 pages

    Jim Saftig

    Biography

    Career: Won the first Plymouth International Meet in Detroit, Michigan, in August 1947 with his own designed Super Zilch airplane Won open stunt at the 1948 nationals using his own Lil’ Zilch Berkeley kitted his Super Zilch in 1948 and his Super Duper Zilch in 1949 Honors: 1958: AMA Fellow 2002: Precision Aerobatics Model Pilot Association Hall of…
  2. First page of Brett Sanborn
    2 pages

    Brett Sanborn

    Biography

    AMA Youth Ambassador Brett Sanborn Brett began his model airplane flying career at the age of 14 through the Science Olympiad program at Clio High School in Clio, Michigan. After attending the Cloudbusters Indoor Fling contest a few years in a row, Brett took an interest in F1D. In the summer of 2003, Brett qualified for the U.S. Junior F1D team…
  3. First page of Dan B. Santich
    3 pages

    Dan B. Santich

    1935– · AMA 24739

    Career: 1952-1972: While in the U.S. Air Force, earned a place on the Air Force modeling team each time he participated 1968: Had his first designed published, the Radio Control pattern model Rapier, in Radio Control Modeler magazine; went on to have numerous plans published in various magazines 1969: Hosted the first Japanese-American…
  4. First page of Mel W. Santmyers
    3 pages Autobiography

    Mel W. Santmyers

    1932– · AMA 3190

    Career: 1962: Entered his first competition; has spent over 40 consecutive years in Radio Control competition alone Served as president of the Detroit Radio Control Club Helped run the Detroit invitational for a few years Started the Association of Radio Control Clubs in Michigan that included Canada Started a novice class for competition events…
  5. First page of Alberto Santos-Dumond
    4 pages

    Alberto Santos-Dumond

    1873–1932

    Le Petit Santos The history of aviation is full of interesting personalities that have had as much or more to do with making history as the machines they are associated with. Some have called Alberto Santos-Dumont “the father of aviation.” That isn’t true, but there’s no denying the contribution he made in a time when no one on the continent of…
  6. First page of Richard W. (Dick) Sarpolus
    15 pages Autobiography

    Richard W. (Dick) Sarpolus

    1937– · AMA 13612

    Career: 1953: Attended his first AMA Nationals Early 1950s: Belonged to the Union Model Airplane Club and the Linden Model Airplane Club and helped organize the Cranford Flying Fools Control Line Club Early 1950s: Began selling his Control Line plans Mid to Late 1960s: Involved competitively with Radio Control Pattern, Pylon Racing, Scale…
  7. First page of Steve Sauger
    2 pages

    Steve Sauger

    Biography

    Over the past fourteen months, scale modeling has lost three members of the 1986 U.S. Scale Team. Mike Gretz, F4B Manager, passed in January 2016; Skip Mast, F4C Competitor, passed in August 2016, and now it saddens me to report that Steve Sauger, F4C Competitor and another good friend, has passed away on March 19, 2017 at the age of 86 after a…
  8. First page of James R. (Jim) Scarborough
    2 pages Autobiography

    James R. (Jim) Scarborough

    1934– · AMA 218

    Information submitted by JRS (06/2003); Written & Edited by SS (06/2003), Reformatted by JS (01/2010) Career: 1947: Received first place in his first contest Competed in the Nats from age 21 until he was about age 40 and received many trophies, including first places Competed in FAI competition while he was in his 20s Held the outdoor ornithopter…
  9. First page of Larry Scarinzi
    10 pages Autobiography

    Larry Scarinzi

    1933–2023 · AMA 9099

    Career: First club was the Tri County Sky Rovers of Summit, New Jersey By 1949, was winning either first or second places at contests Flew in many meets in the early to mid-1950s with Harold “Red” Reinhardt Won second and third places behind Reinhardt at some of the New York Mirror Meets 1950s: often flew two Control Line airplanes at once and can…
  10. First page of Carl Schmaedig
    1 page

    Carl Schmaedig

    1917–2014 · AMA 1955

    Career: Associate Editor, Model Craftsman 1965-1966: District II Vice President AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame The following biography was in the October 1964 issue of Model Aviation magazine, in the section about those running for AMA’s presidential and vice presidential seats, titled “About the Nominees.” Carl ran as a candidate for the…
  11. First page of Paul A. Schmitz
    1 page Autobiography

    Paul A. Schmitz

    Autobiography

    Paul A. Schmitz Bradenton, Florida Leader Member and Contest Director I have been in this hobby for 65 years. I started modeling in 1937. I have been involved in Free Flight, Control Line Stunt, Control Line Speed, Radio Control Pattern contests, and Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) events. I joined the Toledo, Ohio Weak Signals organization and…
  12. First page of John Schneider
    3 pages

    John Schneider

    1924–1997 · AMA 34606

    Career: 1953 -1967: Model photographer for Air Trails and American Modeler magazines; attended and photographed all the Navy Nats Did most of Berkeley's photo work for their kits; also did photo work for Bill Winter, Paul DelGatto and Don McGovern I started modeling in 1934 flying rubber (Wakefield). In 1938, I got into gas with a Red Zephyr…
  13. First page of Eyvinn Hansen Schoenberg
    2 pages

    Eyvinn Hansen Schoenberg

    1919– · AMA 15714

    Eyvinn was born and raised in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and began modeling at age eleven while visiting San Leandro, California. He attended modeling classes in Oakland, California at Capwell’s department store, and fell in love with the hobby. “On returning home to Hawaii, my room became my model shop, as I turned out all kinds of rubber-powered…
  14. First page of Parnell Schoenky
    1 page

    Parnell Schoenky

    Biography

    Parnell Schoenky, District VI, member of the Contest Board. Address: 125 East Maple Ave, Kirkwood 22, Missouri. Parnell served on the Contest Board last year. He’s a mechanical engineer at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, Flight Test Department. Most of Par’s modeling activity has been with Free Flight-types, though he dabbled in Control Line for…
  15. First page of Red Scholefield
    2 pages Autobiography

    Red Scholefield

    1930–2023

    Red Scholefield C. L. “Red” Scholefield started modeling at the typical age for a depression kid (pre-girl). While the exact date cannot be established, family photos reveal him holding models of the Megow, Comet, and Guillow Vintage. Driven by a love for airplanes, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force upon graduating from high school, only to…
  16. First page of Walter (Walt) L. Schroder
    3 pages

    Walter (Walt) L. Schroder

    Biography

    Career: 1927-1929: Drove race cars. He held a dirt track record 1930s: District manager with the Singer Sewing Company 1940s: During WWII, was a machine shop partner with Ben Shereshaw. Formed in 1940, Ben was in charge of engineering and Walt ran the shop. The most well-known of their products was the Bantam engine (.19 displacement.) 1944-1945…
  17. First page of Art Schroeder
    4 pages

    Art Schroeder

    1928–2007 · AMA 172

    Career: 1970-1984: Editor of Model Airplane News 1989 - : Editor of VRCS (Vintage Radio Control Society) newsletter 1968 to present: AMA Leader member and Contest Director 1968-1971: AMA District II Vice President Columnist and author for 22 years Honors: 1995: VRCS Hall of Fame 1995: Howard McEntee Award 1998: AMA Pioneer Award 1998: Model…
  18. First page of Carl E. Schwab
    22 pages Autobiography

    Carl E. Schwab

    1929– · AMA 46891

    Career: Developed the method of flying U-Control models with three lines Started work in 1951 with Hazeltime Corporation in Little Neck, New York Worked with Bob Petersen on developing a two-channel proportional with feedback servos Designed and built the Yellow Bird model Develop Blip Trim Develop Simpl-Simul Refined the design of a three-tone…
  19. First page of Mac Schwager
    1 page

    Mac Schwager

    Biography

    Mac Schwager of Seal Beach, California, is attending Stanford University, where he is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He was given an award of $3,000. Mac’s modeling experience has been an important part of his education. Incorporating model gliders in his high-school projects, he performed tests involving such things as dihedral…
  20. First page of Dave Scott
    2 pages

    Dave Scott

    Biography

    I Am the AMA Dave Scott Full-scale air show pilot and RC instructor JS: How did you get involved with model aviation? DS: I grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the world’s greatest aviation convention and air show. By the age of 10, I was riding my bike to the airport twice a day and…
  21. First page of Aaron (A. J.) Seaholm
    2 pages

    Aaron (A. J.) Seaholm

    Biography

    This $2000 award, provided by Sig Manufacturing of Montezuma, Iowa, went to Aaron Seaholm. Aaron attended Billings West High School in Billings, Montana and plans to work toward a degree in aeronautical engineering at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The Sig Award is based on two factors: modeling performance and financial need. Aaron’s…
  22. First page of Irvin (Irv) L. Searl
    4 pages

    Irvin (Irv) L. Searl

    Biography · AMA 10941

    Biography of Irvin L. Searl (September 30th, 1929-July 16, 2011) AMA Number: 10941 IMAA: 11153 Irv Searl was a man of many avocations and became quite consumed with whatever hobby took his interest. First and foremost, he enjoyed a lifelong love affair with building and flying model airplanes. This passion began when he was 5 years old and his…
  23. First page of James M. Sears
    6 pages Autobiography

    James M. Sears

    1946– · AMA 8335

    Career: Joined the Lexington (Kentucky) Model Airplane Club in late 1974; served as president in 1976 and senior adviser in 1977 Helped form the Burgin (Kentucky) Barnstormers in 1977; has served as some sort of officer in the club ever since Trained over 100 members to fly Radio Control through the Burgin Barnstormers Became AMA District VI…
  24. First page of Edgar W. (Ed) Seay Sr.
    5 pages Autobiography

    Edgar W. (Ed) Seay Sr.

    1909– · AMA 566722

    Career: Sold his first model plane of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis in 1927 In 1928 went to work at Command Air in Little Rock Worked for Chance-Vought Experimental in Dallas from 1948 to 1959 Attended the National Aircraft show in 1932 and took orders for model planes Worked for the Texas-based model airplane company, Gold Aircraft…